Trading methods have evolved from a manually intensive process to a technology enabled, electronic platform. With the advent of electronic trading, a user or trader can be in virtually direct contact with the market, from practically anywhere in the world, performing near real-time transactions.
Electronic trading is generally based on a host exchange, one or more computer networks, and client devices. In general, the host exchange includes one or more centralized computers to form the electronic heart. Its operations typically include maintaining an exchange order book that records unexecuted orders, order matching, providing price and order fill information, and managing and updating a database that records such information. The host exchange is also equipped with an external interface that maintains uninterrupted contact to the client devices and possibly other trading-related systems.
Using client devices, traders link to the host exchange through one or more networks. A client device is a computer such as a personal computer, laptop computer, hand-held computer, and so forth that has network access. A network is a group of two or more computers or devices linked together in any fashion, which can be characterized by topology, protocol, and architecture. For example, some market participants may link to the host through a direct network connection such as a T1 or ISDN. Some participants may link to the host exchange through direct network connections and through other common network components such as high-speed servers, routers, and gateways. As explained in greater detail below, a client device may access an exchange through a gateway, and a router may route messages between the gateway and the exchange. The Internet, a well-known collection of networks and gateways, can be used to establish a connection between the client device and the host exchange. There are many different types of wired and wireless networks and combinations of network types known in the art that can link traders to the host exchange.
Sometimes, on their machines, traders use automated or semi-automated trading tools, collectively hereinafter referred to as automated tools, that automatically or semi-automatically send orders to the exchange. Such trading tools are usually provided to, among other things, facilitate fast and accurate order entry. For instance, an automated tool might quickly calculate one or more order parameters, such as order price or order quantity, based on market conditions, or some other reference condition, and then automatically send an order with these parameters to an exchange for matching. According to many existing and popular exchanges today, orders are electronically entered in an exchange order book in the sequence in which they are entered into the market (a first-in, first-out, commonly referred to as FIFO matching system). Based on this sequence, and the availability of market quantity, orders are filled, with priority given to the first order entered, then the second (next) order entered, and so forth. It should be understood that different matching systems can be used as well.
In addition to trading individual tradable objects, many traders often implement trading strategies that involve simultaneous trading of two or more tradable objects. One such trading strategy is commonly referred to as spread trading. In general, spread trading is the buying and/or selling of one, two, or more tradable objects, the purpose of which is to capitalize on changes or movements in the relationships between the tradable objects. The tradable objects that are used to complete a spread are referred to as the outright markets or legs of the spread. A spread trade could involve buying tradable objects, buying and selling tradable objects, selling tradable objects or some combination thereof.
As used herein, the term “tradable object” refers to anything that can be traded with a quantity and/or price. It includes, but is not limited to, all types of traded events, goods and/or financial products, which can include, for example, stocks, options, bonds, futures, currency, and warrants, as well as funds, derivatives and collections of the foregoing, and all types of commodities, such as grains, energy, and metals. The tradable object may be “real,” such as products that are listed by an exchange for trading, or “synthetic,” such as a combination of real products that is created by the user. A tradable object could actually be a combination of other tradable objects, such as a class of tradable objects.
Spread trading may involve risk. For example, to achieve a spread differential, a trader typically works orders in two or more different markets. An order in one of those markets may fill, but the market conditions could change in another market, leaving the offsetting order unfilled and the spread incomplete. This results in the trading being “legged up,” because only one side of the spread transaction is complete. As a result, the trader might lose large amounts of money to complete the transaction at an undesirable price, or remain unfilled totally.
Currently, there are two ways a trader could trade a spread. To avoid some of the risks of being “legged up,” traders may trade in exchange provided spread markets. Electronic exchanges have introduced spread markets that guarantee the trader will not be “legged up” by taking certain precautions, for example. Accordingly, those exchange provided spreads might behave differently than if they did not provide this “no-legged” up guarantee. The different behavior expressed by these types of exchange-provided-spreads might result in less aggressive and less riskier trading than through conventional spread trading where the trader works orders in multiple markets to achieve a spread differential upon execution.
According to the second method, traders can use automated spread trading tools that allow them to create their own spreads, often referred to as synthetic spreads. Once a trader defines a synthetic spread, an automated spread trading tool may generate spread market data for the synthetic spread without facing the exchange-imposed limitations. While a trader who trades spreads using an automated spread trading tool may sometimes face a problem of getting legged up, the automated spread trading tool can generally allow the trader to be more aggressive in his/her trading, and thus potentially result in greater profits for the trader.
Typically, when a trader enters a desired spread order price based on the provided spread data, an automated spread trading tool will use spread setting parameters defined by the trader to place an order in the legs of the spread. As the markets in each leg move, individual spread leg orders may be re-priced by an automated spread trading tool to achieve the desired price defined for a synthetic spread. Re-pricing of orders generally involves canceling the existing order at one price and replacing it with a new order at another price. Such a mechanism, while very helpful to a trader to achieve a desired spread price, results in the newly submitted order being placed at the end of an order queue corresponding to the order's new price at an electronic exchange. However, it is desirable to have orders as close to the front of the order queue as possible to increase the likelihood of the orders getting filled. Thus, re-pricing the order increases the likelihood of the order not getting filled. It is desirable to offer tools that can assist a trader in trading in an electronic trading environment, and help the trader make trades at the most favorable prices in a speedy and accurate manner.